The Citizen Page #6

Mickey Johnston,

a formerly homeless bookkeeper

who Ibrahim befriended...

and supported financially

back in 2002.

Mr. Johnston,

what do you have to say about Mr. Jarrah?

I owe him my life.

I took advantage

of his friendship.

And I want to apologize for it.

- Here.

- Yeah.

In front of everybody.

Ibrahim, if you're

out there listenin',

I'm sorry, man.

I don't understand why people

want to hate on you so tough...

after all you did

just to get into this country.

And I'll tell you,

they ain't gonna shut up about you...

until you become...

an American citizen.

And that's the story

from the immigration courthouse.

Back to you in the studio.

I'll talk to Ron

at his radio station.

It's not like we're asking him to write

the story, just send us a reporter.

That way you

can tell him in your own words.

Hi.

Let me call you back.

Guys,

just came from the courthouse.

We have a public hearing.

Yes.

As you can see behind me,

it's not quiet out here though.

A crowd has started to gather.

There are supporters of Jarrah

here on one side.

There are also people

holding signs that say...

All rise.

Please be seated.

In the matter of Ibrahim

Jarrah's removal proceeding,

we will begin with

the government's presentation.

Thank you, Your Honor.

I am here today because I care

deeply about this country,

its citizens

and its safety.

I intend

to demonstrate to you...

that Ibrahim Jarrah,

who ironically has become an icon...

for many unknowing

civil libertarians,

poses a threat to

our national security...

and should therefore

be deported.

He has lied about his reasons for being

here, from the very moment he arrived.

On September 10, 2001,

a concerned immigration agent at JFK

phoned the U.S. Department of State.

He believed that Ibrahim's

uniquely fragmented background...

and contradictory answers to routine

questions raised a red flag.

The U.S. acted decisively

upon that suspicion,

and Ibrahim was detained immediately

after the September 11 attacks.

Today, Mr. Miller will

cite unfounded anecdotes...

to make you believe that Ibrahim

is a misunderstood hero.

Each moving story that

you'll hear about Ibrahim...

is a fabrication,

designed to mask the true Ibrahim Jarrah,

a man who has known

connections to the people...

who helped plan and execute

the 9/11 attacks,

a man who actually

filmed himself...

attending a hateful

anti-American rally...

within 24 hours of his

arriving in New York City,

a man who for six months

evaded questions...

about his connection to enemy

combatants when detained in Brooklyn,

a man who still has the audacity

to deny his connection...

to a 9/11 hijacker with the same last name,

from the same country,

who arrived in this country

at almost the same time.

As if this were not enough, the

government has gained secret evidence...

that links Ibrahim's cousin

Rashad to the 9/11 attacks.

While I'm not at liberty to disclose

the nature of this evidence,

there is more than enough supporting

evidence to justify Ibrahim's deportation.

He must be sent back

to his country of origin...

without delay.

Thank you.

Your Honor, I think the counsel for the

government's impassioned statement...

that he cares so deeply

about this country,

while commendable,

is hardly mutually exclusive.

In fact, I think it's fair to say that all

of us here care deeply about this country,

including my client,

which is why he's here today.

Now, as for the charges

against him,

I wish to state

for the record...

that Mr. Ibrahim Jarrah is not,

was not, and will never be...

a threat to the security

of this country.

Indeed, Mr. Jarrah

is a man who came here...

in search

of the American dream.

But instead,

he has been trapped...

in an unconstitutional

nightmare.

This man was detained

for six months...

six months, Your Honor...

without cause, without

the right to an attorney,

without even being explicitly

told why he was being detained.

And after six months of being held

against his will without explanation,

he was suddenly released.

And why?

I'll tell you why.

Because the U.S.

government admitted...

and I'm quoting here...

"There is no

credible evidence...

that Mr. Jarrah played a role

in the 9/11 attacks."

Now, all of a sudden the

government is changing its tune,

saying

he shoul be deported.

And why is that?

Is it because of some

new damning discovery,

or because he... he...

he violated some law?

Absolutely not.

No.

The government

wants him deported...

because of some allegations

against his cousin,

- supported by... by... by some...

- "secret evidence."

Now, leaving aside the fact that his

cousin is not on trial here today,

let us examine that phrase

"secret evidence," shall we?

A secret is something

that is hidden from view.

Now evidence,

on the other hand,

is something that is,

by definition, visible.

So how can something that is

a secret also be evident?

Well, the simple fact is,

it cannot, Your Honor.

It defies all legal logic.

Your Honor, the phrase "secret

evidence" is an oxymoron.

It is a false construct that

provides a platform for xenophobia,

the same xenophobia

that corrupted our country...

when

Japanese-Americans were...

were unfairly detained

during World War II.

By seeking to deport

Mr. Jarrah,

we are saying to him,

and legal aliens like him,

"You are not welcome here."

Your Honor,

if this man is deported,

it will quite simply be a

violation of his human rights.

It will also be inconsistent

with our values...

of fairness, equality

and justice.

The great thing about America...

is we have a rich history...

of reversing mistakes,

If you dismiss the fearmongering

endorsed by the prosecution today,

you can rest assured

that you also...

will be on

the right side of history.

Thank you.

Thank you, both,

for your statements.

Mr. Winston, this court cannot

draw any real conclusions...

based on evidence

that cannot be made known,

even if it does pertain

to a relative of Mr. Jarrah's.

Your Honor, the very nature of secret

evidence prohibits its public release,

so as not to pose a threat

to national security.

If you would like to know the specific

nature of the evidence against Rashad,

federal law stipulates that you

must request a special clearance.

Once you're granted

that special clearance,

I can freely share the evidence

with you in a private session.

In that case,

this court will reconvene...

once I've been given

special clearance...

and had an opportunity

to review the secret evidence...

against Rashad,

and, by proxy, Mr. Jarrah.

Court is adjourned.

- Thank you, Your Honor.

- All rise.

What is this

secret evidence?

How are we supposed

to fight that?

We can't get ahold of Rashad.

What could he have done?

I doubt very much

whether Winston even knows.

He's just... He's just going

for guilt by association.

Good night, Earl.

Good night, Joe.

You know what?

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